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'''''Talking Heads: 77''''' is the debut studio album by | '''''Talking Heads: 77''''' is the debut studio album by [[Talking Heads]]. It was recorded in April 1977 at New York's Sundragon Studios and released on September 16 of that year by [[Sire Records]]. The single [[Psycho Killer|''Psycho Killer'']] reached number 92 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and later became remembered as one of the band's most famous songs and one of the most popular 70s rock songs | ||
==Labels and demos== | ==Labels and demos== | ||
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During late September the group began to consider Sire Records again, and asked advice from Danny Fields, the Ramones' manager. Fields praised Sire despite them having the normal flaws of a record label. On November 1 the trio met with Seymour Stein again at Shulman's office, and signed a recording deal with Sire, with an advance allowing the trio to make music their full-time career. | During late September the group began to consider Sire Records again, and asked advice from Danny Fields, the Ramones' manager. Fields praised Sire despite them having the normal flaws of a record label. On November 1 the trio met with Seymour Stein again at Shulman's office, and signed a recording deal with Sire, with an advance allowing the trio to make music their full-time career. | ||
== Promotion == | |||
In November of 1977, ''Manchester Evening News'' held a contest to "Win the latest Talking Heads album," readers could send in the answers to the following questions in hopes of winning a free album: | |||
* "Name the girl member of the group" (A: Tina Weymouth) | |||
* "Name at least one other group with whom the Talking Heads share a common record label" (A: The article directly mentions the Ramones, so any other Sire Records group would do) | |||
* "Talking Heads appeared on a Phonogram compilation of punk new-wave music. Name one other group which was on this album titled New Wave" (A: See [[New Wave (1977 Compilation Album)|''New Wave'' (1977 Compilation Album)]])<ref>Manchester Evening News. “Win the Latest Talking Heads Album.” ''Manchester Evening News'', 29 Nov. 1977, ghostarchive.org/archive/FG318. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.</ref> | |||
== Critical Reception == | |||
The album received critical acclaim upon its release in 1977. ''The New York Times'' put it as the second best pop album of 1977, just behind Fleetwood Mac's ''Rumours.''<ref>Rockwell, John. “Here They Are: Ten Best Pop Albums.” ''The Indianapolis News'', 31 Dec. 1977, ghostarchive.org/archive/Y40QH?wr=false. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.</ref> Critics praised the album's "witty use of buildings as symbols,"<ref>Milward, John. “'Rumours" Sits Tall in Off-Year for Albums.” ''The Star-Ledger'', 25 Dec. 1977, ghostarchive.org/archive/RNDOv. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.</ref> "confused urbanity,"<ref>Milward, John. “Chicago Reviewer Lists His Top 10.” ''The Times-News'', 8 Jan. 1978, ghostarchive.org/archive/WF5sa. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.</ref> "no-nonsense, basic pop,"<ref>Gritten, David. “Talking Heads: Talking Heads 77.” ''Sports Argus'', 14 Jan. 1978, ghostarchive.org/archive/lkuG0. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.</ref> and "squawking vocals."<ref>Toepfer, Susan. “The Last Gasp of the Rock Era.” ''Daily News'', 1 Jan. 1978, ghostarchive.org/archive/Qa3ys. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.</ref> | |||
=== Intellectualism === | |||
Many critics from the first album onwards would label the group as some for of "intellectual." Some called the music "the thinking person's new wave."<ref>Robins, Wayne. “For Best Album, the Winner Is ...” ''Newsday (Nassau Edition)'', 1 Jan. 1978, ghostarchive.org/archive/SazTA. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.</ref> But in contrast to this, in an article from January 1978, David Byrne is quoted as saying "At fist people said we were real intellectual and only smarties would like us. But then all these kids came and liked us and that proves they were wrong."<ref>Murray, Dave. “Talking Heads.” ''Reading Evening Post'', 28 Jan. 1978, ghostarchive.org/archive/hF0S4. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.</ref> | |||
==Release history== | ==Release history== | ||
The album was released by [[Sire Records]] in the UK and US and Philips Records throughout continental Europe. | The album was released by [[Sire Records]] in the UK and US and Philips Records throughout continental Europe. | ||
==Track listing== | ==Track listing== | ||
{{Track listing | {{Track listing | ||
| headline = Side one | | headline = Side one | ||
| all_writing = [[David Byrne]] except "Psycho Killer", which he co-wrote with [[Chris Frantz]] and [[Tina Weymouth]] | | all_writing = [[David Byrne]] except "Psycho Killer", which he co-wrote with [[Chris Frantz]] and [[Tina Weymouth]] | ||
| title1 = Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town | | title1 = [[Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town]] | ||
| length1 = 2:48 | | length1 = 2:48 | ||
| title2 = New Feeling | | title2 = [[New Feeling]] | ||
| length2 = 3:09 | | length2 = 3:09 | ||
| title3 = Tentative Decisions | | title3 = [[Tentative Decisions]] | ||
| length3 = 3:04 | | length3 = 3:04 | ||
| title4 = Happy Day | | title4 = [[Happy Day]] | ||
| length4 = 3:55 | | length4 = 3:55 | ||
| title5 = Who Is It? | | title5 = [[Who Is It?]] | ||
| length5 = 1:41 | | length5 = 1:41 | ||
| title6 = No Compassion | | title6 = [[No Compassion]] | ||
| length6 = 4:47 | | length6 = 4:47 | ||
| total_length = 19:24 | | total_length = 19:24 | ||
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{{Track listing | {{Track listing | ||
| headline = Side two | | headline = Side two | ||
| title1 = The Book I Read | | title1 = [[The Book I Read]] | ||
| length1 = 4:06 | | length1 = 4:06 | ||
| title2 = Don't Worry About the Government | | title2 = [[Don't Worry About the Government]] | ||
| length2 = 3:00 | | length2 = 3:00 | ||
| title3 = First Week/Last Week… Carefree | | title3 = [[First Week/Last Week… Carefree]] | ||
| length3 = 3:19 | | length3 = 3:19 | ||
| title4 = [[Psycho Killer]] | | title4 = [[Psycho Killer]] | ||
| length4 = 4:19 | | length4 = 4:19 | ||
| title5 = Pulled Up | | title5 = [[Pulled Up]] | ||
| length5 = 4:29 | | length5 = 4:29 | ||
| total_length = 19:13 | | total_length = 19:13 | ||
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| title12 = [[Love → Building on Fire]] | | title12 = [[Love → Building on Fire]] | ||
| length12 = 3:00 | | length12 = 3:00 | ||
| title13 = I Wish You Wouldn't Say That | | title13 = [[I Wish You Wouldn't Say That]] | ||
| length13 = 2:39 | | length13 = 2:39 | ||
| title14 = Psycho Killer | | title14 = [[Psycho Killer]] | ||
| note14 = Acoustic version | | note14 = Acoustic version | ||
| length14 = 4:20 | | length14 = 4:20 | ||
| title15 = I Feel It in My Heart | | title15 = [[I Feel It in My Heart]] | ||
| length15 = 3:15 | | length15 = 3:15 | ||
| title16 = Sugar on My Tongue | | title16 = [[Sugar on My Tongue]] | ||
| length16 = 2:36 | | length16 = 2:36 | ||
}} | }} | ||
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*[[Mick Rock]] – photography | *[[Mick Rock]] – photography | ||
*[[Ed Stasium]] – engineer | *[[Ed Stasium]] – engineer | ||
== References == |